PORTLAND | Pearl District tower | 295m | 970ft | ? fl | Pro

4106 Views 5 Replies 5 Participants Last post by subterranean, 2 mo ago

prageethSL

Discussion Starter · Nov 16, 2017

Skyscrapers for post office site? Portland firm's extravagant pitch

William Kaven Architecture wants to design the tallest building in the Pacific Northwest. And it wants to put it on Portland's Pearl District Post Office blocks, the site the city offered to Amazon for its second headquarters.
The concept, released by the Portland firm on Monday, proposed two skyscrapers, one of which would rise 970 feet. Together, the high rises would provide about 5 million square feet for retail, office, hotel rooms, apartments or condos.
According to the announcement, the two buildings would be linked by "a glass-enclosed botanical bridge spanning 236 feet across the North Park Blocks some 680 feet in the air, providing dramatic aerial views of the entire city."
The proposal would also be able to accommodate a transportation hub for high-speed rail or a Hyperloop, the news release said.
But proposed height limits for the site would allow buildings as tall as 400 feet.
In an email to The Oregonian/OregonLive, Daniel Kaven, a partner with the architecture firm, acknowledged the constraints of the height limits. But he said the city, which is considering zoning changes in its Central City 2035 plan, should think big.
"City Council is able to amend this if needed/desired," he wrote. "It is our belief that there should not be a limit on the height and that vertical development on this scale is necessary."

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Skyscrapercitizen

· #2 · Dec 17, 2017

Expected some more info here, but just one post?

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prageethSL

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 26, 2018

William Kaven unveil full proposal for Portland's Broadway Corridor

William Kaven Architecture have just released additional renderings of the firm's redevelopment proposal for Portland's Broadway Corridor, giving a more complete picture of their broader scheme.
In addition to the initial release of Portland's tallest towers last November, the firm has now fleshed out what the rest of the 5 million square foot development will entail.

Their concept of reconnecting Union Station to the Pearl District involves removing the Broadway ramp and creating a pedestrian-centric district organized around an extension of the North Park Blocks.

The firm also plans major shifts to public transportation, integrating a central hub for a high-speed rail and underground mass public transit next to Amtrack's Union Station.

This pedestrian friendly plan continues with additional buildings situated along a central park, which offer a range of typologies from affordable to market-rate residential with ground-floor retail and office space.

Other elements of the plan include four residential towers, an indoor market fronting the north end of the park blocks, a museum and a block-long reflecting pool.

A glass-covered park with play structures and food carts that could be enjoyed in all seasons would occupy the block between Union Station and the new district.

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Just curious, what are the odds this could actually get approved by the Portland city council? Is this just a pretty rendering from some architecture firm or is this actually a project with financial backing? It's a cool project, but architects propose a lot of buildings that never see the light of day. There is no mention of who the developer is so I'm guessing this is more an idea, not an actual project moving forward.

As for the building architecture, I really like the sky-bridge/observation deck. I really wish sky-bridges were more common throughout the US and I'm sure you could get a great view of Mt. Hood on a clear summer day from up there. It would also be hilarious if Portland started building higher than Seattle.

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